Editorial
May 29, 2010

Campaigns to replace Jennifer Granholm as governor of Michigan are heating up prior to the August primaries, when voters will select the nominees for Democrats and Republicans.

While we've learned from past campaigns that very few candidates can deliver on most promises made to voters before elections, we still monitor platforms for ideas.

We've found two recent proposals that deserve consideration.

Rick Snyder, an Ann Arbor businessman seeking the GOP nomination, wants to change the state budgeting process. And Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, who is a Democrat, suggested recently that the Michigan Legislature should be a part-time elected job.

Speaking earlier this week to the Gratiot Avenue Business Association, Snyder said an "outcome-based" budget system would be a primary change he would implement if elected governor.

Recent past history, with the threats of government shutdowns and the implementation of furlough days for state employees, has shown that our state lawmakers are clueless in properly managing a budget.

"Outcome-based budgeting is what the private sector does, that's how we operate," Snyder told the 100 business leaders attending the meeting.

"To say that the method that works for the biggest part of our economy won't work in our government it's absolutely the way to go. We should have done this a long time ago."

Under Snyder's plan, state departments and agencies would be expected to meet measureable goals and outcomes.

He criticized the current bureaucratic tradition of assigning funds to each department based on revenues available.

If anything has been learned from recent state budget problems it's that you can't allocate more funds than are available � but lawmakers keep trying, even if it means using one-time federal funds.

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There are only 10 other states that maintain full-time legislatures and we agree that Michigan should join the majority of those that are part time.

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Still, changing the budget process and getting rid of our full-time Legislature are impressive ideas.

The full article is available on the Macomb Daily's website here.